What will The Next Apocalypse look like? Will it follow the plots of a multitude of books, movies and television shows? An archaeologist looks at three “collapses” in modern times to determine how societies react to drastic events. Can the Mayan, Roman, and Eastern North American indigenous societies tell us how future collapses will occur?
Despite the author stating multiple times that people searching for underlying causes found problems within their own time, he does the same thing. Drought, deforestation and system disruption are frequently mentioned as issues both then and now. Of course, that doesn’t mean the author is incorrect.
Ultimately, The Next Apocalypse is interesting more than informative. Writers may find his suggestions on how to portray the apocalypse more accurately useful—though not necessarily more entertaining. After all, who doesn’t want to watch a single family struggle through a giant snowstorm. 4 stars!
Note: It helped me to be a professional student when reading this book. It uses the vocabulary of a college textbook though the prose is like a popular science book.
Thanks to Basic Books, Perseus Books, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.